Mile 2363: my bed

Gloriously nice to rest my head on my pillow, on my bed, in my house, in my home town. It's not really home yet because Mike, Josh, and Cami aren't here but that will be reality shortly.

So 44 hours in the car,  95 gallons of gas, 8 states, 2363 miles, twice as many gas stations as restaurants, no speeding tickets, no injuries, no breakdowns, and only a splash of rain the whole 8 days... pretty damn good. 

So where should I go next week?  Who's on board?

Mile 2205: Bond, Jayson Bond

Landed in Columbia, MD, the Bond household.  They have a beautiful tree up but it is overshadowed by young Master Jayson.  Nothing brings peace to a house like a newborn.  And that new baby smell - gotta love it!

Again and Again

It doesn't matter that I have Holocaust museums in several other cities. It doesn't matter that I have seen Holocaust memorials in even more cities, across the globe. It doesn't matter how many books I read or courses attended. It doesn't matter that I know not a single ancestor's name who fell victim nor even survived.   It doesn't matter that I already will never forget.

Again and again I search out these reminders.  It reminds me of who I am.  Of who I will never be.  And of who I strive to be.  Jew or not, I encourage you to experience these lessons of life, death, faith or lack thereof,  courage, humanity, and the horrible absence of it.

The Richmond Holocaust museum is as good as any I've seen. 

Mile 2057: A Tribute in Richmond, VA

It may jinx myself,  but I am going to pay a brief tribute to my Acura TL. In just less than a week it has carried me over 2000 miles with not so much as squeak. It has maneuvered through pot-hole covered dirt roads at 10 MPH, through traffic at 80 MPH, and down empty highways at well into 3 figures.

I spent 39 hours so far sitting in its seat, sometimes with my bum-warmer on, and sometimes with the windows wide open for the chilly air to greet me. I have chatted with friends on the Bluetooth, and been guided by the Navigation although sometimes in quite interesting paths!  I have spent hours listening to songs, happily belting out many  tunes to the steering wheel, and even shedding some tears for love lost.  And finally have expanded my understanding thanks to Wiesel's book on tape.

And while I was typing this sitting in the very parking spot in the picture, a nice woman stamped by bumper with the two hex screws holding her front license plate on. While I would love to have her insurance replace my bumper cover (effectively fixing an assortment of other aesthetic scratches), I chose to just forgive her and keep the two hexagonal dents as a souvenir for the car. Bet you can't wait to see what souvenirs I got for y'all!!!

Mile 1796: Bading Badin Lake Farewell

As I drive out of the Badin Lake area, I can't help but miss the trip already. My free schedule is over.  Like the rest of us I add back into my days responsibilities to friends, family, community and my employer. For almost a week I needed worry only about where my head will rest at night. My good fortune to be able to make this trip is not lost on me, nor do I dread returning to my more routine life.

I am looking forward to seeing the familiar faces of my friends and feeling the embraces of my family; hearing the good and bad of their days and trying to make them better. I welcome the chance to make headway with my 2010 work goals and to give and get ribbing with my colleagues.  I enjoy seeing the faces of the same shop keepers in my hometown and being part of a community.

But I also look forward to the next chance to escape to nature, to explore the corners of the mind you rarely have time for, and to appreciate all aspects of our lives. But maybe next time you can come with me?

Fires are nice but...

Well the fire was nice, but when the winds start blowingz only my tent and double sleeping bag take out most o the chill!  But the fire did heat up my camper's stew. You know my stew I'm sure. Whatever is around you throw it in the pot. I had a can of beans, some peanuts, and an inch of summer sausage left. Not bad. Believe it or not an inch really is enough. (-;

When I first set up camp it seemed deathly quiet and pitch black. But after 5 minutes somebody switched on the lights. The old man in the moon has this place glowing. Not saying I would sprint through the woods but hike it, sure. The sounds started too- wind rustling the few leaves hanging onto Fall, planes out of the Charlotte airport about 50 miles away, and of course the sound of the werewolves' claws scraping across the fallen trees as they snake their way toward me. (What campfire is complete without a scary story!?)

I think I will let the fire burn down and hike down to the lake to see what cool sights the moon has in store for me. Maybe my camera will even capture some of it?

Mile 1794: Badin Lake

Finally I am camping on just a hunk of forest. No campground just federal lands. My first fire too! I am going to warm up some chow and sit quietly by the fire. Night all.

Hyatt Hospitality

I am relaxing in my hotel room until I get booted at the noon check out time. I had a nice 5 mi run earlier after a good night's rest. Last night I drove through the continental divide on route 521 due to the detour I ran into.  The road was twisting through the mountains in hair pin turns and patches of black ice- I bet it would have been gorgeous if it were day time. But I have not had to deal with bad weather at all so I feel pretty lucky.

At 1 today I will meet with a materials manager from the Carolina's Healthcare System. After that I will head just out of town to a federal park to find a good camp site.  This will be my first night not spent in a camping site with a shower and bathroom. But the good news is that I get to build my first fire circle, cut my own wood, and heat some dinner.

Congratulations to my son Mike for getting his driving permit. Of course that means he can take a turn driving on my next road trip- that is if I can overcome my control freak tendencies!  Mike will definitely help me do that since he is very responsible and I trust his judgement with my life. No pressure Mike!

I will apologize now to my friends Jay and Kisha. They are putting me up tomorrow night when I drop in to see their first child, Jayson. I will not have taken a shower so I will be a sad sight to see and smell.

Some good news:  There are no security checks or lines to get in my car. It is very unlikely that anyone wants to bomb my car, but I still use scrutiny when picking up all those hitch hikers.  But I don't profile!

Too late to help, but I just saw on the news why I had to take that long detour last night. Apparently back in October a major rock slide closed route 40. It will take until March to get the rock wall secured.  Seeing the TV footage of the boulders on the road somehow made the detour more palatable. 

Mile 1512: Detour!

Major detour has added over an hour delay, oh well. I've been driving for 5 hours straight with 3 to go, but no aches, not tired, no complaints.  I have snacks, water, comfy seat and great music. The view is so much better than from my couch.

Mile 1335: Charlotte Bound

90 minutes in, and 5 hours to go, I am on the longest haul yet. Fantastic driving weather and moderate traffic - including speed traps. The cruise is set 14 MPH over and I have to break every few minutes for traffic.

Elie Wiesel's A Mad Desire to Dance is playing again. I am determined to finish the book by Charlotte! 

The road continues to weave and cut through the gorgeous Tennessee Rockies. Unlike the PA Tpk, each mile is eye candy. The sky appears more immense, dotted with a variety of clouds whose shadows paint textures across the mountain sides. 

Mile 2.5: The Parthenon

Shamefully, I am on my first run of the trip. 2.5 miles from downtown is the Tennessee Parthenon.  It is a replica of the original built for Tennessee's first centennial.  It sits in a park surrounded offices and industry - very much a regular city feel but the mammoth Parthenon seems oddly out of place.

Just a few blocks from here is Vanderbuilt University, a beautiful campus. Well I'm off back to downtown to clean up and check out. Charlotte tonight.

Nashville Culture - Part III

Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys

Riders in the Sky - played and hosted, quite funny with their antics
Rebecca Lynn Howard - nice set of lungs

Opry at the Ryman - Not a bad seat in the two-level house

Hermitage Hotel - Just one of many beautiful ceilings

Tennessee State Capitol (1845-59) - Beautiful Greek revival style

Capitol rotunda, with statue in shadows on East side of building

Nashville culture -Part II

So the Opry was thoroughly enjoyable, even though I am rock and roll boy. It was interesting to see many "mature" artists bring their kids up to play with them, being sure to announce them. One of the kids could actually play the banjo really well - he was only 16. The other kids didn't show much.

There were actually some songs I knew. They were sung by the writers - not the artists - in most cases. There were guys like Jack Greene who are older than dirt who played their own stuff - and I knew one or two songs. The audience was fun and into it. The auditorium is of course very old. We sat in what amounted to as pews, which is no surprise since the building was first designed to be church. The "pews" were original and kind-of comfortable... they kept me sitting upright and alert, just as the Church intended these medieval torture devices to do to their congregation!

I saw dozens of pictures on the walls of artists who performed here. You know many of them and may be surprised: Alice in Chains; Olivia Newton-John; Jonas Brothers; Earth, Wind & Fire; Springsteen; R.E.M.; Barney the Dinosaur (OK, I lied about him); Kid Rock; Elton John; and on and on and on.

I took a few picture of each artist, and even made a video of one. The video is attached here and is the first 2 minutes of a sad song about alcoholism. When you see the video you'll know why I recorded it... she is my kind of woman singing my kind of song. Gorgeous brunette with a fantastic voice, singing a strong vocal song accompanied only by a guitar. The audio doesn't do it justice, but here it is. If you listen close at the very end, you will hear me getting busted for making a recording. My way of justifying it is for you to now know the name of Rebecca Lynn Howard!

I will post some pics in a moment. I am debating going back out tonight to catch some more tunes in a bar, but I'm feeling old and fuddy-duddy so I will likely put on a movie or Sportcenter and call it a night. My dinner was filling and knocking me out. It was a simple steak and spaghetti, but I ate too much bread and treated myself to a slice of raspberry cheese cake - by far the biggest treat I have indulged in. The steak came out mooing, and after a few heart-wrenching moos I sent it back to be killed properly. It returned to my plate 10 minutes later delicious and with a proper death certificate. The pasta was perfectly done (not mushy like usual) and was covered in a heavy and yummy cream sauce- but not Alfredo, more an herb flavor.

And now for a message from our sponsors... GS1 Healthcare US. Between all the fun and games, and long drives, I have been visiting hospitals to understand the level to which they have embraced using bar codes and standard identifiers for their locations and products. A secondary purpose is to lay the groundwork to visit again in 2010 to do an in depth study on their processes to both understand how they operate and to identify opportunities for improving patient safety and reducing their costs. So far I have met with 3 hospitals and all have been utilizing standards and bar codes to different levels. But all three have been very interested in a return visit to do an in-depth follow-up study. One more visit to go on Monday in Charlotte.

Grand Old Opry has begun

2 hours of country music is underway. About 8 artists will perform, none of whom I have heard of. But some have won Grammys so I guess I live under a rock. Tonight I will peek out for a spell...

Nashville's flavor - Part I

After walking the city for 4 hours, I can definitely tell this is a fun town. So much so that I almost bought a pair of boots and a Stetson. It has a rich history, grand architecture and humble little shops. Plus it is sports crazy for its hockey, pro football, and even the Kentucky v. Clemson bowl game tomorrow night. It has its share of homeless and pan handlers too, but I never feel unsafe.

I am going to have dinner at the kind of place I favor most- the same place the locals like to eat. I'm not even sure what food is considered local, but I'll know soon. Right after dinner I will head to the Ryman Auditorium for some country and blues. The Ryman was the Grand Ole Opry for 30 or so years before the new facility was built across town. While I am not a big country fan, I am a huge fan of experiencing other cultures from food, to music, to history.

I also self-toured the Hermitage Hotel- a 100 year old, grand hotel that has been witness to this country's most famous personalities from presidents to performers. I have some pics I will post later tonight. Incredibly lavish, elegant, and classy with the bell hops wearing period top hats and tails. Quite a bit pricier than my budget for this trip, but I will ask them if I can pitch my tent in a corner of the grandiose linen closet.

On my way to Belle Mead plantatiom

Above is my slice of grass I had last night. Plus my car deserved a little PR since it has been so faithfully getting me everywhere. 

I'm off to see a plantation now and then I'll head downtown for some music culture. Maybe the Opry tonight?

Mile 1189: Only in Philly

There were very few Charger fans at the game, but there were a few loud taunting ones. As the Chargers ran up the score, effectively eliminating the Titans from the playoff picture, the guy 2 rows up would do a dance and turn slowly around grinning and pointing his finger at the frustrated Titan fans. I have seen this behavior tolerated in other cities too... but not in Philly. He would have returned home by halftime with that finger broken.

I discovered a hidden value in sitting next to a person who needs 1 1/2 seats... warmth! Game temperatures were frigid but my right side stayed toasty warm thanks to the gentleman's girth pressed against me.

I joked earlier that I may need to set up the tent in the strip of grass between McDonalds and KFC. Well that is practically where I am. The campground is in the Nashville city limits and a block down from fast food row. I am on a postage stamp plot of grass bordered by an asphalt enranceway and a chain link fence. I would expect the trees to be as real as your plastic Xmas tree, but I don't think the South has that technology yet being as they only stopped marrying their sisters last year. (That shot was for my Drexel friend living down here - recently married to whom I think has no blood relations to her!)

Now that things should reopen, I will venture into downtown to expose myself to a little country music culture. The weather is still cold but the birds are singing and the sun is shining.

Mile 1167

Go Titans, er ugh Chargers, er ugh E A G L E S Eagles! But while in Nashville, do as the Nashvillites? Bought a 3rd deck seat, sat in a lower level end zone seat, be sitting on the Titans bench by 3rd quarter!

Beech Fork Trail videos

Gurgling creek- Turn up the volume to hear it.

Dried up lake bed - immense missing water?!

Runoff from the snow turns the mountains into an orchestra of sounds.

Hiking snaps from Beech Fork

Welcome to Beech Fork

Beware of the wildlife you could come across on the trails

Here is the trail that got me lost at the end of it - thank G-d my Droid had GPS!

Here is a mammoth rock overhang near the top of a mountain. It would make a great shelter for 10 people!

This is a shot of the sandstone on the overhang - see how the elements have worked away tunnels into the rock.

Cool waterfall - for sound effects watch the videos I will post next.

Deer feeding across the dried up lake - see the video for a 360 degree view of the dried up lake.

Another deer. They had enormously wide white tails.

Those are my size 12 boots - can you imagine the size of the bird? Is it yellow and lives on Sesame Street?

Huge variety of mosses and fungi that grew all over the rocks.

Another cool waterfall.

Mile 992: Huge Sheraton room

Feels great to put my feet up on a King bed, crank the heat to 74, set up collection of laptop/phones/camera on the bed, and click on the 37" plasma TV!  Sheraton must be struggling to fill the rooms Xmas week because this room is embarrassingly cheap- great find Mom and Dad.

The picture I posted is of Louisville across the river. I took it from Jeffersonville, IN where my hotel is. I just finished a nice meal at Kobe's which is the only restaurant open tonight within walking distance.

It started to rain in the last 30 minutes of my 4 hour drive,  but it has stopped and is pretty warm out. They got no snow down here.

I haven't even seen a police car since I started my trip, let alone a speed trap. But as you know, I always do the speed limit, at least. For those of you keeping score at home, I have driven on average well under the speed limit- averaging only 53 MPH.  My time in the car has been just under 20 hours.

Some of the time in the car I have listened to a book on CD by Elie Weisel, called something like "A Mad Dance".  It is typical Weisel, which is thought provoking but depressing since his work is so influenced by his time spent in the concentration camps.  It is hard to listen for very long because it wears me down mentally and I can't stay awake. I find it more challenging than other books I listened to while driving - and I have listened to a lecture on "Chaos Theory" and a Shakespeare play which were easier to follow!

Interesting what the mind thinks of when the audio tapes aren't on. My mind has had over 16 hours to drift wherever it wanted to go. Future thoughts haven't ventured past New Years, but past memories have come flooding in. Many times I had totally forgotten those memories. Sometimes it takes getting away from the day to day usual environment to truly unwind.  But of course it's a rare luxury to be so selfish as to drop so much responsibility long enough to truly relax. 

Mile 742: to hell with Charleston

I drove into Charleston this afternoon but turned right around,  everything is closed. I may as well get to Louisville and have a late dinner. 

I hiked for almost 5 hours on mountainous trails. My legs are wonderfully tired. One of my favorite moments was I stopped at a lake's edge. The crunching of snow under my boots fell silent as I looked around me. I was surrounded by underbrush that provided shelter to the deer by the way they arched over to make canopies. While no deer were there, dozens of hoof prints traced paths in an around the undergrowth. Also finding shelter there were many small, unremarkable birds. What was really cool about them was that in the peaceful silence the fluttering of their wings as the alighted from bush to bush surrounded me with a surreal feeling. Had they been 10,000 fireflies I supposed I would have spontaneously broken into dance.

I have some pics and videos on my camera I will try to post tonight. The melting snow running off the mountain provided some neat sounds and images.

Mile 685: Beech Fork. State Park

I'm on a hiking trail this morning in West Virginia. I didn't have a signal at the camp site so you are getting that blog now - I have one bar now since I am near the peak of a mountain.

The night was well below freezing, but the tent and double sleeping bag made it very comfortable. I tried to watch a movie I rented on my laptop once I got situated around midnight, but the movie was awful and my foggy breath kept blowing past the screen!  I turned it off and grabbed a good 6 hours shut eye.

I will finish my 4 hour hike and head into Charleston mid afternoon. Then tonight I will drive into Louisville for either a camp night or hotel... depending on the rain and availability of a camp site. This late in the year very few are open. Gee, I wonder why?

Mile 382: UPMC Supply Chain visit

Great tour of the medical supply operations, and set the stage for future visits to complete a week-long audit and best-practice analysis. Off to Primanti Bros. for a great sandwich! I'll also snap some pics of Pittsburgh which will be posted in an album later.

Mile 157: York Hospital, Wellspan

After a good night's sleep at Mile 122 at Mom and Dad's, I have arrived at the York Hospital.  This facility is part of Wellspan which is member of my employer, GS1 Healthcare US. That means they pay my salary, but it also means they know something about the value of the GS1 standards which I hope to help them implement this year.

The morning is very cold but clear. When I crossed the Susquehanna River, the river seemed to be frozen still- but it wasn't. It is about 1/3 of a mile wide here and beautifully framed by modest hills on either side. York is an industrial town plopped into the middle of farm country. Center city seems tired and gray, but winter has a way of portraying a city that way; especially after a major snowfall when road salt paints gray blotches on everything. 

It will be a fast turn-around today since I will have exactly 4 hours to walk out the Yorker Hospital door and in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center door. It is hopefully one of the last days I have any urgency to my trip. Sitting here relaxed in the cafe with time to type this on my Droid certainly helps to start the day peacefully. I'm not hungry, as usual in the morning, so I'm not eating... but I will have no time for lunch so it may be a long day. In Pittsburgh I hope to grab one of those fun sandwiches with fries in them from "Permangie?" Brothers.  You've seen them if you have watched a few Steeler's games since they are a landmark establishment.

Off now to walk the halls a bit and a feel for the facility.

Walmart man

Do I look like Leisure Suit Larry in my Walmart special suit!?

Off to an idiot's start

Made great time into Lancaster. My hanging clothes don't have a wrinkle on them- they are still on the hangar at home!  Nothing like a Walmart jacket and slacks to make a good first impression!  I'm now at my second Walmart of the night. Say hello to Ephrata!

Prepared for what?

So I am all packed. Some hanging clothes for the 3 business stops I have at hospitals. Lots of long sleeve clothes. Hiking boots, knit hat and gloves. 2-man tent, lighter, and ax. Water, cheese, wine, nuts, and canned ravioli. Is there anything else I need? Who knows since I don't know where I am going or what I am going to do.

I have 7 nights ahead of me, 3 in hotels, 4 outdoors. My first two stops are on day one in York & Pittsburgh. My last stop is Charlotte on Day 6. In between... I dunno know. I was going to hike and camp in VA near Shenandoah, and drive the Skyline Drive - but it is closed right now due to snow and ice. Maybe it will open in time for my Day 2 excursion, or maybe I will head Southwest and land in Charleston, WV. I don't have any camp sites picked out in advance so maybe I will pitch the tent on the grassy strip between McDonalds and KFC in Charleston!?

I really want to see some of the caverns in VA and want to hike Shenadoah to see some of the waterfalls... but the waterfall trails require some steep climbs and with snow and ice down on the rocks now, that may not be very wise. (Wisdom is not a requirement for this trip though). The camping centers are closed for the Winter so I am left to wonder how I will get clean when I am not in hotels. I guess my soap, towel and wash cloth will have to do at truck stop bathrooms.

I am hoping my friend Erik will show up tonight with a propane heater - it will likely make a big difference. Day 3 is Christmas Day and will be rainy, icy and miserable, with nothing open, so I am hoping the tent is warm and comfortable. I am bringing a few books so maybe it won't be too boring.

I will try to post blogs and pictures each day from both my Droid and those I upload to my laptop from my camera. Let's hope Starbucks with wireless service is plentiful! Feel free to comment on my blogs, but I am new to this so I may not be very responsive. Talk at you soon, BoPo